Morning journal and courier., 1887-01-06
srwaNGEITALIAN LAWSUIT.
How Her Servants Robbed a March
 iOness.
IUHUSS. From the London Daily News.

iOness.
 From the London Daily News.
 A strange case is at present going on at Placenza. In that place there lived the Marchioness Fanny Anguissolas, the heiress of two of the oldest noble families of north Italy, the Viscontis and the Anguissolas, l connected during four centuries with the history of Italy. The marchioness possessed fortune of ten or twelve million francs. She was always very extravagant and irrita- ble, and the early death of her husband and only daughter, who fell victim to an un- happy love affair, increased the eccentricity of her disposition. There remained to her one son, Filippe. With the pride and exclu- siveness of feudal lord, he combined fa- natic love of Socialism and great activity and delight in reforms. He was crushed by 8 threshing machine while experimenting his agricultural affairs and lost his life.
 This misfortune rendered his mother mis- anthropical. She shut herself up in her palace, which she closed to all visitors and lived in miserly fashion. Her only friend was her lap dog. Her servants, finding themselves deprived of all perquisites, re- yenged themselves by rohbing her. It was her custom the whole year round to take her meals in an arbor in the garden, and there in various holes and corners she hid large quan titles of gold and notes These she often missed, but she never complained, fearing that if she did her immense wealth would become known to the public. She was so desirous of being considered poor that once, when note of one thousand francs, which she had paid in mistake, was returned to her, she refused to take it, saying that she had never possessed 8 note of that amount.
 But her avarioe alternated with fits of law ish generosity. To many persons who begged of her she gave "handfuls of bank notes" She sent one hundred thousand francs to the American missionaries, but at the same time complained of the expense of the postofiee order. She frequently left her home to spend some ti inc at convepts near Placenza or Milan, where she devoted her self to religious services, and met with much fattery, for she gave money readily for pious ends. At these times of absence all Placen- ga was aware that the Palace Anguissola was searched from cellar to garret, and it is be= lieved that in the course of years it's mis- tress was robbed of millions of francs.
 During her lifetime the police could not interfere, for she would listen to no warning, and utterly refused to believe in the possi bility of her being robbed. She died of ap- oplexy and afterward about three hundred thousand francs were found hidden in the mattresses of the beds, in the stuf1ng of the chairs, in old stockings, behind picture frames and other curious places. There was 8 report that she had been poisoned, but post-mortem proved it to be unfounded.
 But now justice interfered and evidence respecting the various robberies supposed to have been committed was collected. Many of the domestic servants of the house, to- gether with their relatives and friends, had grown rich and could not explain the source of their wealth. They were also found in possession of valuables belonging to their mistress, which they said had been given to them by her. Many persons in Piacenza are now either accused of theft or summoned as witnesses.
 The case was commenced the other day and excited great interest. The accused, eleven in number, were all dressed in mourn ing. They are coaehmen, doorkeepers, house servants, &c. One coachman confessed to having deposited at various times in various banks sums to the amount of sixty thousand francs, which he said had been given to him in the course of years by his mistress out of gratitude because he had driven away some thieves who broke into the palace and for